What is faith? A quick internet search will give you a definition of “confidence or trust in a thing, person, or concept.” Many people call themselves “people of faith.” In what is their faith. Is their faith in something real and true, or in something untrustworthy? Muslims seem to have a strong faith, but in the wrong object, a figment of Muhammad’s imagination. Romanists have faith in the pope or in Mary, but that’s the wrong object. The postmodern worldview says “believe what you want to believe, all roads lead to God.” They are right, all roads do lead to God, but not necessarily the favorable presence of God. A strong faith in a false object will bring them to the judgment of God, and eternity in Hell. I can believe all I want that Tennessee will win the college football national championship, but since they are already eliminated that faith has no valid object.
It seems as if many just have a faith in faith. Clichés don the walls of homes and businesses. Faith, Family, Fun or Keep the Faith. That business is a “faith-based bakery” or a “faith-based florist.” What does that even mean? Does it mean the owner has faith or all the employees have faith? Maybe someone named Faith works there. But in what or whom is their faith? Everyone has faith, but what is the object?
Charles Spurgeon’s Catechism asks the right question in #69 (#86 in the Westminster Shorter Catechism).
What is faith in Jesus Christ?
That is the only faith that matters. I can believe with my whole heart, soul, mind, and strength that I can fly if I flap my arms hard enough, but that faith is in a false object.
What is faith in Jesus Christ?
The object is a strong and steady anchor. Jesus is the only One worthy of trusting because He has proven so in the words of Scripture.
What is faith in Jesus Christ?
The catechism answer is: Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving gift, where we receive, and trust on Him alone for salvation, as He is explained in the Gospel.
That is faith.
It’s a gift. Ephesians 2:8 tells us “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;”
A gift is not earned. God, through His Spirit, gives us the gift of faith when He regenerates us.
A gift according to Hebrews 10:39. “But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”
A gift we receive according to John 1:12. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,”
This isn’t an acrobatic catch where the wide receiver has to make a leaping one-handed grab while dragging his toes in the endzone. No, remembering that it’s a gift, we know that the divine quarterback drives the ball into us so that there is no way we can drop it.
Faith is trusting that Christ is my only righteousness. Philippians 3:9 says, “and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,”
Faith is trusting in the biblical Jesus, not just some false representation of Jesus.
For the Lord is our judge, The Lord is our lawgiver, The Lord is our king; He will save us— Isaiah 33:22
Westminster Larger Catechism question 72 asks, What is justifying faith?
The answer: Justifying faith is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God, whereby he, being convinced of his sin and misery, and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition, not only assents to the truth of the promise of the gospel, but receives and rests upon Christ and his righteousness, therein held forth, for pardon of sin, and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for salvation.
When pondering faith, think of a pirate. What does a pirate say?
ARR (you said it like a pirate, didn’t you?)
A-Accept. Accept that the facts about Jesus described in the Scriptures are true.
R-Receive. Receive those truths, that they are true for me.
R-Rest. Rest in the fact that Jesus accomplished my salvation with no help from me.
Accept. Receive. Rest.
The Gospel is true. The Gospel is true for me. Rest in the truth of Gospel.
Hebrews 11:1--Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.